My wife and I are getting back to boating after owning an inboard
for many years and we are looking at outboard powered boats in
the range of 20 -26 feet.

I have very little experience with outboards and was wondering if
some of you folks could enlighten me as to the following:

- What is the useful life of an outboard motor, of say 150 HP or so. Is
it measured in engine hours or years? Do outboards generally wear
out or corrode out? Does running in salt water (presumably flushed
after use) materially decrease the life of a motor?

- Can an older outboard that has been sitting on a boat in a yard for
several years be brought back to life?

- Can a reasonably competent amateur home mechanic do major
repairs on an outboard?

Thanks in advance for the benefit of your experience. There are a
number of yard queens that can be had cheaply in our area and my
wife and I enjoy working on boats.

Regards

Tony Van